Why Do TV Characters Get Killed Off Shows?

Yes, Family Guy Really Did Kill Off Brian

This past Sunday, fans of Family Guy were shocked by the show’s decision to kill off Brian, the Griffin family’s dog and one of the three family members voiced by Seth MacFarlane. Producer Steve Callaghan told E! News that the idea to kill Brian off was “pitched in the writers' room… and we thought it could be a fun way to shake things up… We got very excited about the way this change will affect the family dynamics and the characters.”

Killing off a character in a TV show is a device often used to rejuvenate a series that has gone stale, but it's far from the only reason a character kicks the bucket mid-series. The reasoning, backstories, and fan fallout of killed-off characters is sometimes more interesting than the plotline itself. Here are some of the best stories behind famous TV characters who got the on-screen axe.